First trackday Monday, and dyno results
 

My first trackday is Monday at Mid-Ohio, so if I survive I'll let everyone know how the bike did. Any suggestions I haven't gotten by searching would be helpful. Bring lots of refreshments, tools, fuel (I'm taking 89), using the blue painters tape, pulling fuses for lights, lower air pressures. Don't worry about tellin me to take it easy, I'm just going to try to not hurt myself since I'm temporarily without health insurance. Anything else?

I had my bike on the dyno a bit ago and forgot to post the printout. It wasn't a dynojet so I don't know how the numbers compare, but I made 103hp and 66(if I recall)ft-lbs. I'll try to get a pic up soon. Bike is stock, except a baffelectomey and shimmed needle. I'm happy with it. It was on old (2k miles, I know) oil too!

i just unplug the headlight & the 2 plugs for the brake light.

it's a lot to take in for the first couple of sessions. i remember my first trackday... first session.. i was flying down the front straight & started braking hard for turn 1 and completely forget to drop down a couple of gears.:D i get back on the gas & .... oh, right.. i need to shift too :shock:

my best advise is to ask for help. the instructors / marshals can't read minds... around here you can get 1 on 1 instruction if you just ask.

i've never meet anyone at the track not willing to give advice or pointers so ask questions, not just marshals but other riders.

welcome to the addiction, it's so damn fun. not just the speed, but completely letting go... no cars, driveways, cops, debris. etc. etc.

enjoy
tim

Im going to volunteer at PIR next Saturday. It will be my first time working around a race day. Should be great experience. I will get to do the next ToR for free as well!

Hey, I don't need a doctor's note or a physical or anything do I? That just occured to me. I've never had any health problems, just wondering.

Thanks

Have fun and let us know how it went.

No not that I know of. I'm pretty sure you just need a pen and a signature to sign a waiver. I've been before, but not recently.

Cool. I just got an 02 gixxer 750 I wanted to take to ride as well, but I can't fit two bikes in the el camino, so it will have to wait. A full tank of gas plus a 5-gallon jug should be alright for the day I assume, but I'm curious to see how fuel consumption is. Right now I get about 38 mpg. Before the baffelectomey I got closer to 45:(

Mid Ohio is great fun. The surface is much better than before. Watch the esses. You'll go through turn one (which is much faster than it looks) and through the keyhole, down the straight and into the esses. The first right hander is a lot of braking, the left hander over the rise is somewhat off camber and blind. There's a right hander immediately following.

Make sure you get a nice wheelie on the run to thunder valley. It's a right hander with a small rise then dip onto a straight. Pretty cool feeling.

Enjoy yourself and don't forget to breathe. On my first trackday I don't think I took a breath during a lap until I turned blue. Lots of water, eat small amounts during the day, check your tire pressure and gas often, and have fun. Stay out of the sun if you can find some tent, easyup or shade area.

Careful of the after lunch session. Takes a bit to get back in the groove. I think the turns are still concrete with blacktop on/off. Much smoother than it used to be. The transistion was so bad you were almost better running wide to stay on blacktop because of the elevation change to the concrete. Much better now I hear.

While setting in the pits admire the balled up rubber on your tires and think about how Valentino must feel.;)

So for the TOR at PIR what gear is required? Do you need full leathers?

I just got a 108 on the dyno today. All stock except for Jardine slip-ons. No torque figure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_d-DWHs6W4

See the Trackday Tips thread on this forum (t=14792). The "search" function would have led you to it.

Everything went perfectly yesterday. The track was grippy, the weather was nice, and the superhawk performed well. As expected I was able to keep up with almost all of the 600s, and I could run in a much higher gear which was nice to keep wear and tear down. It was great to chug out of corners at 3k or 4k and still stay right with the I-4 guys. I had a very hard time passing 600s on the straights though (safely anyway).

Fuel consumption was about 4ish gallons over the whole day, maybe 130 or 140 miles or so but I was glad I had plenty left. Really, that's only slightly worse than I get buzzing along on the highway. Figure that out! Never got over halfway on the temp gauge, and had plenty of brake and power left. It's going to be some time before I need to upgrade.

I did drag both knees on most turns later in the day, and had tons of fun and learned alot. It's by far the best $200 any of you will ever spend on your bike! If anyone is going to be at mid-Ohio later in August or September, I'll see ya there! :)

Oh yeah, thanks PJay, your writeup was helpful. I tried to keep to the racing line so as not to be unpredictable to the guys behind, but I can see how going wide would have helped be pass on the straights easier. I've got lots to keep in mind for next time.

Ummmm, not quite sure what you mean. The line we generally suggest is described as a "late apex" racing line. But another thing we always emphasize is that "the" racing line is whatever line suits best at the time for your racing. From both of these views, wide in, clip the apex at exact midpoint of the corner, and wide out is not the only correct line by any means.

Glad my ideas helped.

Sounds like you had a great time. My wife and I want to do a track day some day, however we don't have a track as nice as Mid Ohio in SoCal.
What tires and pressure were you running?

I'm guessing that was your red SH I saw gridding up all day with the beginner group? I pointed it out a couple times to my buddies. I had my '01 track bike there running in the "I" group. I had a little get of in T-7 at the end of my first session but was able to get things straightened out, re-teched and back out there. I had a blast as I did last year. Don't worry about passing the 600's when you get more experience you'll figure out that you can get on the throttle way earlier exiting corners and squirt by them providing the rider has comparable track experience. One of my buddies and I pulled of a double pass of an 848 on the last turn. I was 4th in line entering the carousel as we caught the slower pair. My buddy goes around the first rider on the outside of the carousel I went inside as he drifted wide toward the end of the turn. I saw my buddy setting up the 848 for an inside pass entering the front straight. I had a little wider line and as my buddy motored by on the inside I took them both on the outside. My VTR ran flawlessly but my brain fade in the first session put me down sliding through the grass exiting madness. I wasn't hurt and the bike forgave me for the off track excursion. I spent the afternoon dragging both sides of my lower. I ran Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa green compounds and absolutly shredded the rear tire. I need to find a shock badly!!!!!! I'm also looking for some replacement spares that I used due to my get off. Foot pegs, shifter, clutch lever for starters.

I have an extra set of clutch and brake levers for sale. Actually, you have your choice of silver or black. $15 + shipping and they're yours. PM if interested.

Sorry for the threadjack.

It's always great to get a rider to the track for the first time. It's super that you had fun and learned a lot. I was at Gateway on Sunday, July 13th. It was my first trackday in over 2 years and it was great to finally get back out there. It really boosts your confidence and riding ability, and for me anyway I discovered that you don't get slower over time! :)

Yep, that's me. I didn't know there was another superhawk there, cool!

I was running Dunlop qualifiers at 32 front and back. I had to bleed some air out later in the day, because I checked them and they got up to 38! No complaints out of the tires, didn't give me any problems but I don't think I'm fast enough to really push them. My front end did get really unstable if I braked into the corners, but that's probably just user error ;)

My instructor gave me the go ahead to run with group I next time, so maybe I'll see ya in a month if you'll be there.

A little off topic but this is the only way i can figure out how to post a comment. I have a 98 vtr 1000 and am having a problem with power loss and it stalling on the highway.It only happens when i leave it at about 4 on the tach doing about 75mph I just changed the plugs and I had a garage sync my carbs recently. Im at about my wits end trying to figure out whats wrong with it, and other than this one problem the bike runs and idles well. Im farely sure its not the clutch and beginning to think it is electrical if anybody has any ideas I would greatly appreciate the feed back.